A Record of theRelatives, Ancestors and DescendantsOfThompson McDonald DietzAnd his wifeMary Rexiaville Townsend DietzPresented to their grand-daughterFlorence Manning SessumsBy her AuntFlorence Dietz Poindexter(who was born in 1868 in Clark Co., Indiana)Anno Domini nineteen hundred and thirty six

Here is your copy of our “Family Tree”. I think you will appreciate
it and keep up the record so long as you live and hand it down to whoever
is most interested in this sort of thing. If I could have had all
my data before I began writing I could have arranged it better, but I got
a little at a time and wrote as I got it, so there are plenty of mistakes
in composition and writing, but I could not afford to rewrite, and I know
you will overlook them and if there are things you do not understand I
will be glad to explain.

We are indebted to my cousin Laurie Coombs Achenbach for the Garnsey
genealogy. I was so glad to get that as it told us something of Grandfather
and Grandmother Dietz and the dates of the birth of all their children.

I hope you will get Katie to help you with a record of Mannings and
Fishers to add to this.

On Grandmother Dietz’ side there are 10 direct generations, 11 in sister
Gracie’s family for she has one great-grandchild. In mothers family
we go back to 1579, but there is a missing link.

In the Poindexter genealogy we go back to 1250.

You are getting your copy written later than I intended. It is
given you in the name of your mother and you can keep it in remembrance
of us both.

With Love,
Aunt Florence
{Florence Dietz Poindexter}

Abigail Guernsey was born in Ontario Co., New York, May 15, 1816.
In less than a year her parents moved to Indiana. On Nov. 28, 1833,
she married Thompson McDonald Dietz. In 1842 she united with the
Methodist church under the ministration of Rev. C. Bonner at Bowert Chapel.
Some years later she united with the Disciples or Christians. She
was the mother of eleven children. A good Christian mother, faithful
to every duty, lenient to every fault, whose law was that of kindness and
generosity. Well may it be said of her as of one of old, “She hath
done what she could”, Mark 14:8. She departed this life in July 1902,
at Memphis, Indiana. Buried in Bowery Cemetery, Blue Lick, Indiana.
At the grave Rev. Thompson Mc Hawes of Louisville, Kentucky, a grandson,
paid her loving tribute. At the time of her death she had living,
6 children, 36 grandchildren and 54 great-grandchildren.

The following extract is from an “In memoriam” written by Uncle Will
Dietz (also provided by Robin Manning <rrjbg@powr.net>):